Strain analysis of misfit dislocations in α-Fe2O3/α-Al2O3 heterostructure interface by geometric phase analysis

• The α-Fe2O3/α-Al2O3 interface was studied by transmission electron microscopy.
• The strain fields around the misfit dislocation were mapped by GPA.
• The Foreman model (a = 2) can be used to describe the strain fields.

The α-Fe2O3/α-Al2O3 heterostructure interfaces have been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The interface exhibited coherent regions separated by equally spaced misfit dislocations. The misfit dislocations were demonstrated to be edge dislocations with dislocation spacing of ∼4 nm. The strain fields around the misfit dislocation core were mapped using a combination of geometric phase analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The strain measurement results were compared with the Peierls–Nabarro dislocation model and the Foreman dislocation model. These comparisons show that the Foreman model (a = 2) is the most appropriate theoretical model to describe the strain fields of the dislocation core.